TRICITY EXPLODES IN TRICOLOUR TRIUMPH
Victory processions, firecrackers, parties mark jubilations; Midnight madness on roads
Chandigarh, March 30
The tricity erupted with joy like never before. As soon as India took the last Pakistan wicket, a jubilant crowd at the PCA Stadium broke out in celebration and descended on the roads surrounding the stadium.

Sonia, Rahul mingle with ‘aam aadmi’
Mohali, March 30
It was a double treat for fans at the PCA Stadium. As Team India won hearts of the fans by putting up a high voltage performance on the pitch, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi mingled with the fans in block number 7.

Cops’ day out!
Mohali, March 30
As the match progressed towards India’s victory, hundreds of Punjab policemen deployed outside the stadium started trickling in to catch a glimpse of the game. Most of them had sought permission from their bosses to sneak into the stadium to see the game.

India should be polio free in 3 yrs: Rotary
Chandigarh, March 30
Rotary International expects India to be the first to be free of polio among the four countries where it runs a campaign and that should happen within three years, says its president Ray
Klinginsmith.

savouring sweet success

Clad in patriotism:
Joy has no bounds for these fans as they celebrate India's victory over Pakistan at the cricket stadium in Sector 16, Chandigarh. Tribune Photo: S Chandan

Victory Lap: Women matched men in their expression of joy as they celebrate the victory on the roads of Chandigarh. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari;
Aam Aadmi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi seated amidst fans during the fag end of the match. Photo: Rajmeet Singh

Over the top: Youngsters break into a frenzy as some climb atop a car in Sector 20, Chandigarh. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan;
Big Moment:
Fans gather around a big screen to cheer for the Indian team
in Sector 29, Chandigarh. Tribune photo: Nitin Mittal

Painting the city blue
Patriotic expression manifested itself on the faces and bodies of cheering fans ahead of the match in the tricity gripped with cricket fever

Spot the difference: A Yuvraj look alike (left) and another fan with his body painted in the Tricolour arrive at the stadium. Tribune photo: Nitin Mittal

Cricket melts borders
Lensmen Manoj Mahajan, Nitin Mittal and Vicky Gharu capture the historic movement when cricket melted the border & political executives got together for a day in the city.

(1) Signaling peace: Indian Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh arrives at the Chandigarh Airport in Mohali on
Wednesday; (2) Making an Impact: Pakistan Prime Minister Yusaf Raza Gilani, Pakistan Information Minister Firdohs Ashiq Awan and Interior Minister Rehman Malik talk to mediapersons on arrival at Chandigarh
Airport; (3) Together they come: Pakistani Prime Ministeraccompanied by his
high-level delegation disembark on arrival at Chandigarh
Airport; (4) Leaving No Chance:
Spectators being frisked before entering the
stadium; (5) No Entry: An Army car being denied entry at the traffic light points of
Sectors 49 and 50, Chandigarh.

(6) In Line for Nation: A long queue of fans outside the
Stadium; (7) Patriotic fervour: India and Pakistan cricket fans display their respective country
flags; (8) Remains of the day: Police confiscate banned items from fans before allowing them into the stadium to view the match.

When All roads led to Mohali
All roads led to the PCA Stadium as hundreds of fans from different parts of the country, attired in traditional outfits and sporting the Tricolour descended there to watch the high-voltage semifinal match of the ICC World Cup.

hail India: Fans cheer for the Indian cricket team outside the stadium
in Mohali on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Vinay Malik

Desperate measures

Dalbir Kaur, sister of Sarabjit Singh who is on death row in a Pakistan prison, made a vain attempt to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Yusaf Raza Gilani
Hotel Taj in Chandigarh on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

When city came to a standstill
As India took on Pakistan in the World Cup semifinal, the city wore a deserted look as some residents thronged the PCA Stadium in Mohali, while many remained glued to the TV to witness one of the biggest cricketing events on Wednesday.

Traffic chaos...... & emptiness
It was a day of traffic chaos as all roads leading
from Chandigarh to the PCA Stadium witnessed snarl-ups much before the start of
the World Cup semifinal match between India and Pakistan today. A huge traffic
jam was witnessed outside Hotel Taj in Sector 17 and the road near the Matka
Chowk on the Madhya Marg due to VVIP movement. The rush was heaviest at the time
the Pakistan Prime Minister arrived at the hotel and also when the two teams set
out for Mohali amidst tight security. The entire 15-km stretch leading from the
Chandigarh airport to Hotel Taj and Punjab Raj Bhawan to the PCA Stadium was
guarded by armed security personnel deployed on the both sides of the road. In
all, 5,000 security personnel were pressed into service, which included around
3,000 commandos of the paramilitary forces.

Nature’s wrath

A tree, which fell during the dust storm, damaged a car at Sector 34 in Chandigarh on the night before the match.
Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Babus play truant
The semifinal clash between arch-rivals India and
Pakistan took its toll on attendance in government offices, especially during
the second half, today. A majority of babus, including senior officials, played
truant while those present were hooked to television sets installed in
officers’ cabins. During a visit to the UT Secretariat, Sector 9, municipal
corporation office and estate office in Sector 17, it was found that a majority
of employees were on casual leave.

VIPs bypass rules
“Kash mere papa bhi Punjab Police mein hote toh mai bhi free mein entry leta bina line mein lage” (I wish my father was in the Punjab Police. Then I would have gained a free entry into the stadium, without having to stand in the queue.